Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE): Why Applications Get Rejected and How to Fix It

The commonest SMILE "rejection" is not a rejection at all. It is an individual expecting a cash grant that SMILE never pays. SMILE is a grant-in-aid scheme: money goes to states, NGOs and institutions, which then deliver shelter, scholarships, health cover and skilling. For organisations, the real rejection risks are missing registration, fewer than three years of audited accounts, or no state government recommendation. Each has a clear fix.

This troubleshooting guide supports the Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) pillar under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The pillar explains the two sub-schemes and full eligibility; here the focus is why an application fails and how to fix it, split by who you are.

If you are an individual: why there is no cash to reject

Many people search for a "SMILE scheme amount" and conclude they were rejected when nothing arrives. SMILE pays no cash benefit to individuals. The Ministry funds organisations, and those organisations deliver services. A Garima Greh place, a scholarship, medical support, skilling, to individuals. There is no online form on which a citizen claims a SMILE payment.

Fixes for a transgender individual:

1. Obtain your transgender certificate and identity card first, by applying on the National Portal for Transgender Persons at transgender.dosje.gov.in. No medical examination is required, and this certificate is the practical gateway to Garima Greh admission and SMILE scholarships.
2. Locate the nearest Garima Greh through the portal or your state social welfare department, and approach it directly. As of January 2026 there were 23 Garima Grehs across 17 states and UTs, so coverage is not yet national, if your state has none, the nearest funded shelter may be in another state.
3. For a scholarship, apply through the route notified by the Ministry for the academic year, with your certificate, marksheets and an Aadhaar-seeded bank account ready.

Fix for a person engaged in begging, or someone helping one: contact the district social welfare office or the SMILE-funded shelter home in the city; identification also happens through Ministry-funded surveys and outreach teams. The begging component operates only in identified cities and localities where surveys have been sanctioned, so absence of a programme in your area is a coverage gap, not a personal rejection.

Common misconception behind "rejections"

• "SMILE gives Rs 5 lakh to transgender persons." The Rs 5 lakh is the annual family hospitalisation cover under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY, which SMILE converges with. It is not a cash payment, so expecting it in a bank account leads to a false sense of rejection.
• "There is an online SMILE form for individuals." There is not; the individual-facing portals are the transgender portal for certificates and the shelter homes themselves.

If you are an organisation: why grant applications get rejected

NGOs, CBOs and institutions apply for SMILE grants on the Ministry's e-Anudaan portal at grants-msje.gov.in, or in response to a Request for Proposal for the begging sub-scheme. The recurring rejection reasons and their fixes:

1. Organisation not registered

Only bodies registered under the Societies Registration Act, the relevant Trusts Act, or Section 8 of the Companies Act qualify. Fix: Complete registration under one of these before applying, and upload the registration certificate.

2. Fewer than three years of audited accounts

Applicant organisations must submit audited statements for the preceding three years. Fix: If your organisation is younger than three years, it is not yet eligible; build the audited track record first. If the accounts exist but were not uploaded, attach all three years on the e-Anudaan portal.

3. No state government recommendation

A state government recommendation is a hard gate, forwarded through the state social welfare department. Fix: Route your proposal through the state social welfare department for recommendation before expecting Ministry appraisal. An application without it stalls.

4. Seeking a medical benefit outside PM-JAY empanelment

The composite health package, including support for gender-reaffirmation surgery, runs in convergence with Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY. Fix: Institutions must be empanelled under AB PM-JAY to deliver the health package; apply for that empanelment through the PM-JAY route.

5. Wrong scheme for the need

An NGO seeking grant-in-aid for an old age home is applying to the wrong scheme. Fix: Old age homes go through the Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens, not SMILE.

Where to raise a grievance

• National Portal for Transgender Persons, transgender.dosje.gov.in — for certificate and identity card applications and status.
• SMILE begging sub-scheme portal, smile-b.dosje.gov.in, for guidelines, the handbook and the grievance form.
• e-Anudaan grants portal, grants-msje.gov.in, for organisation applications and sanction status.
• District Social Welfare Officer, for local shelter referrals and complaints about a funded shelter.

No fee is charged for a transgender certificate, for Garima Greh admission, or for applying for a SMILE grant; any demand for payment should be reported.

FAQ

I applied for SMILE money and got nothing; was I rejected? SMILE pays no cash to individuals, so there was no cash application to reject. Access it through a Garima Greh, a scholarship route, or a shelter home instead.

Why do NGO SMILE applications get rejected most often? Missing registration, fewer than three years of audited accounts, or no state government recommendation.

Is the Rs 5 lakh a direct SMILE payout? No. It is the AB PM-JAY family hospitalisation cover that SMILE converges with, not a cash transfer.